Potier, Beth

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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices4-13-2006The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNHProfessor Examines Homophobia In CollegiateSportsBeth PotierFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationPotier, Beth, "The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports" (2006). UNH Today.1132.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/11329/21/2017 The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sportshttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2006/april/bp_060413locker.html 1/2UNH Media Relations The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH ProfessorExamines Homophobia In Collegiate SportsContact:  Beth Potier 603-862-1566 UNH Media RelationsApril 13, 2006DURHAM, N.H. -- Teamwork. Leadership. Personal growth. Health and fitness. The benefits ofteam sports are well-known and plentiful. But some of the positive experiences of athletics arehidden in a deep, dark closet, says University of New Hampshire researcher Heather Barber,especially for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) athletes and coaches.Barber, associate professor of kinesiology and a sport psychology consultant, has beenexploring identity issues and tensions associated with sexual orientation in sport with VikkiKrane of Bowling Green State University for more than five years. Their work breaks newground in the field of sport studies.“Sexual orientation in sport, while it has been alluded to forever, really hasn’t been spokenabout,” says Barber. “We call it the elephant in the locker room.”In a study published recently in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Barber andKrane investigated the experiences of lesbian college coaches and found a consistent tensionbetween their identities as coaches and as lesbians. All but one of the 13 coaches whoparticipated (the small sample size was due in part to the difficulty in recruiting participants,despite promises of complete anonymity) concealed their lesbian identity to some degree inthe coaching environment.“We knew about it, but we didn’t know how significant it was,” says Barber.Coaches avoided revealing details of their personal lives to their players, despite the warm“family” atmosphere that often develops within a team. “We had coaches who chose to live 45minutes away from campus, so they weren’t part of the campus community,” says Barber,noting that such a lengthy commute can be onerous to a coach who’s already working longhours and late games.One of the major concerns of the coaches, says Barber, was the fear of negative recruiting.The practice, fairly widespread but clandestine, involves coaches trying to influence a highschool athlete’s college choice by speaking negatively of other schools the recruit isconsidering. In cases of homophobic negative recruiting, the researchers found, savvycoaches would have “back door” conversations with recruits or their families in which theysuggested a coach at a rival school didn’t embrace “good family values.”“Sometimes it backfires, but rarely,” says Barber. As the stakes get higher in women’scollegiate sports, particularly for Division I schools, “it’s clear that these coaches can do thejob. Getting the athletes in the door is what makes you successful.”Although Barber and Krane struggled to get their initial research published, the subject ofhomophobia in college athletics is gaining traction. The National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) is beginning to examine the issue, and It Takes a Team, a project of the Women’sSports Foundation, is a clearinghouse for education about homophobia in sport.9/21/2017 The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sportshttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2006/april/bp_060413locker.html 2/2And a current suit against Penn State University women’s basketball coach Rene Portland, whoallegedly has engaged in discriminatory practices against lesbians and negative recruiting forseveral decades, is bringing media attention to the issue (and to Barber, who is sought afterfor expert commentary).Says Barber, the attention is overdue.“This issue doesn’t just affect gay or lesbian athletes, it affects all athletes if it changes theexperience,” she says. “As coaches and team members, we make great claims about sport.This is about creating an environment where athletics is as good as we say it is.” 

The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
4-13-2006
The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNH
Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate
Sports
Beth Potier
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Potier, Beth, "The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports" (2006). UNH Today.
1132.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/1132
9/21/2017 The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports
http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2006/april/bp_060413locker.html 1/2
UNH Media Relations 
The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH Professor
Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports
Contact:  Beth Potier 
603-862-1566
 UNH Media Relations
April 13, 2006
DURHAM, N.H. -- Teamwork. Leadership. Personal growth. Health and fitness. The benefits of
team sports are well-known and plentiful. But some of the positive experiences of athletics are
hidden in a deep, dark closet, says University of New Hampshire researcher Heather Barber,
especially for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) athletes and coaches.
Barber, associate professor of kinesiology and a sport psychology consultant, has been
exploring identity issues and tensions associated with sexual orientation in sport with Vikki
Krane of Bowling Green State University for more than five years. Their work breaks new
ground in the field of sport studies.
“Sexual orientation in sport, while it has been alluded to forever, really hasn’t been spoken
about,” says Barber. “We call it the elephant in the locker room.”
In a study published recently in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Barber and
Krane investigated the experiences of lesbian college coaches and found a consistent tension
between their identities as coaches and as lesbians. All but one of the 13 coaches who
participated (the small sample size was due in part to the difficulty in recruiting participants,
despite promises of complete anonymity) concealed their lesbian identity to some degree in
the coaching environment.
“We knew about it, but we didn’t know how significant it was,” says Barber.
Coaches avoided revealing details of their personal lives to their players, despite the warm
“family” atmosphere that often develops within a team. “We had coaches who chose to live 45
minutes away from campus, so they weren’t part of the campus community,” says Barber,
noting that such a lengthy commute can be onerous to a coach who’s already working long
hours and late games.
One of the major concerns of the coaches, says Barber, was the fear of negative recruiting.
The practice, fairly widespread but clandestine, involves coaches trying to influence a high
school athlete’s college choice by speaking negatively of other schools the recruit is
considering. In cases of homophobic negative recruiting, the researchers found, savvy
coaches would have “back door” conversations with recruits or their families in which they
suggested a coach at a rival school didn’t embrace “good family values.”
“Sometimes it backfires, but rarely,” says Barber. As the stakes get higher in women’s
collegiate sports, particularly for Division I schools, “it’s clear that these coaches can do the
job. Getting the athletes in the door is what makes you successful.”
Although Barber and Krane struggled to get their initial research published, the subject of
homophobia in college athletics is gaining traction. The National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) is beginning to examine the issue, and It Takes a Team, a project of the Women’s
Sports Foundation, is a clearinghouse for education about homophobia in sport.
9/21/2017 The Elephant In The Locker Room:  UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports
http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2006/april/bp_060413locker.html 2/2
And a current suit against Penn State University women’s basketball coach Rene Portland, who
allegedly has engaged in discriminatory practices against lesbians and negative recruiting for
several decades, is bringing media attention to the issue (and to Barber, who is sought after
for expert commentary).
Says Barber, the attention is overdue.
“This issue doesn’t just affect gay or lesbian athletes, it affects all athletes if it changes the
experience,” she says. “As coaches and team members, we make great claims about sport.
This is about creating an environment where athletics is as good as we say it is.”
 


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The Elephant In The Locker Room: UNH Professor Examines Homophobia In Collegiate Sports

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